Kilimanjaro: Which Route to Choose?

So you’ve decided to climb Kilimanjaro, but now you may be wondering which route to choose and which is the best for you! To make that decision easier, Debbie has some great advice for you:

The Marangu Route

If trekking at high altitude is a new experience for you and you’re not too keen on the ‘camping’ aspects of the trek, then the Marangu may be the route for you. This is the shortest route and sleeps in 4 bed communal huts giving you the comfort of sleeping on a mattress each night. A good nights sleep and a little extra warmth can all help in preparing you for the day ahead!

If joining up with others to trek as a group is high in your priorities then the Machame should be one of your top choices. This is a popular route, with a good success rate and the preferred route of many of our solo travellers.

For those where time is not a major factor the Lemosho route is an excellent choice! This is the longest route on the mountain and offers diverse scenery along the way – arguably the most beautiful route on the mountain. Those extra days on the mountain gives this route one of the best success rates for reaching the summit. A great choice for the photographers among you!

If you prefer to get ‘away from the crowds’ then the Rongai is possibly the best option for you. Less used than the ‘Coca-Cola’ (Marangu) or the ‘Whiskey’ (Machame) routes this trek begins from the north side of Kilimanjaro and takes quite a gentle approach at the start. Also a good option if you are considering an ‘out of season’ trek as the north side of the mountain sees less rain!

Kili Fact: The terms Coca-Cola and Whiskey don’t talk about the drink options available on the route, rather they were/are used to dictate the difficulty of the route. Coca-Cola is a softer drink and Whiskey is the harder drink.

The Umbwe Route

The evening meal is a welcome luxury on Umbwe

Prefer a more challenging approach to the summit? Then this is the route for you! This is one that we recommend for the experienced climbers, as its reputation is not unjustified – this is a demanding route and very steep in places, however the rewards are definitely worth it as this route will show you some of the most stunning scenery on the mountain.Read here about how the Umbwe Route has changed and why it’s still Andrew’s favourite.

Regardless of which route you choose, you are in for a fantastic journey and one heck of an adventure! You will see sunsets that you will remember fondly for a lifetime, have great conversations with and learn from the wonderful guides, keep in touch with the interesting people you meet and you’ll still be able to see the famous (though sadly disappearing) highest snow cap on the equator. This will be a story for you to tell for years to come!